Monthly Archives: February 2014

On, Monday February 10, 2014 in the heart of Manhattan, Designer Mischka Velasco did not disappoint a sellout crowd at her fourth Manhattan Fashion Week show.

Velasco unveiled her 2014 Fall/Winter Women’s and Men’s Collection, subtitled “String Theory”, at an event held at the Top of the Garden in New York’s Fashion District. The effort appears to be paying off, with a sold-out show this week and her designs set to be work on the red carpet at a major awards event.
Through her distinctive vision, craftsmanship and attention to detail, Velasco uses textile combinations such as cashmere and silk dupioni to create a collection that is both feminine and edgy at the same time.

The collection is soft and feminine for women, while also having a distinct edge for men, including hidden pockets, bold plaid colorized prints and full-length zippered trench coats. Without obscuring a modern man’s sensibility, Velasco adhered to men’s traditional silhouettes while slightly raising their shoulders. “I don’t want to exaggerate the man’s silhouette, I‘d rather enhance their masculine, elegant strength.” Velasco said.

The enthusiastic response to this brand new collection brought many in New York’s fashion community to the Fashion District earlier this week – buyers, stylists, writers and photographers; this despite being up against some big name shows in the Fashion Calendar.

Velasco clearly respects the techniques of haute couture, including the tailoring of men’s suits by hand, evident in the men’s collection. While respecting the traditions of craftsmanship, she is also capable of introducing new techniques to the design of her collection. She aims to continue the heritage of attention to detail, such as bound buttonholes and hand sewn suits, while preserving a sense of freedom in the design process.

For this show Velasco worked with Fashion Show Producer Deshawn Colbert, Lead Makeup Artist Londone Trebor with their Sponsor Lamik Beauty & Hair by Talibah Stewart and team; music by Broadway Cellist Peter Sachon and recording artist Serena Tideman; live music was provided by DJ Hauke Couture.

With her drive, ingenuity and ability to think out of the box, designer Mischka Velasco’s creations are set to be part of many other events and shows to come.

Each season during New York Fashion Week, the fashion world is introduced to more fresh and creative additions to the runway. The hope is to make their mark and become a permanent fixture for future shows. One of the bright, new faces that graced the stage for February 2014 New York Fashion Week was British designerChantell Walters.

On Friday, February 7th at 7 p.m. at the 320 Studios located at 320 W 37th St, 14th Floor in Manhattan, Walters launched her new Fall/Winter 2014 collection for New York Fashion Week. The event was quite fabulous with standing room only as the crowd anticipated the preview of the designer’s recent creations. The runway show was exclusively produced by fashion and design expert Tai Chunn and MVC Management Productions.

Walters was born and raised in London and developed a love of fashion and design at the early age of five. She cultivated this passion and attended the prestigious London College of Fashion in 2005, where she completed a degree in women’s wear. She had her first taste of being in the spotlight when she received recognition as a future star at the Niquitin CQ Fashion Awards judged by Hilary Alexander. She harnessed her creativity and gained inspiration from her various internship experiences with Preen, The Sunday Telegraph and stylist Jo Phillips (Tank Magazine), to name a few.

Walters launched her own label in 2009 with a collection of draped cocoon cardigans, which became her signature style. Part of that signature style is creating pieces that embody both innovation and femininity. She uses meticulous details, futuristic concepts and precise tailoring to capture her creative vision. Walters creates her collections to empower women, to radiate confidence and to honor the female figure.

One of Walters’ defining qualities is her drive to expand her label. She makes regular trips to destinations all over the world and uses her positive attitude to continuously grow her brand. Her ultimate goal is to inspire others to follow their dreams. She is creating classes geared toward teenage girls, in hopes of inspiring and nurturing an entirely new generation of young designers.

Walters has always found a quote by Belva Davis incredibly inspiring –“Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.”

Chantell Walters continues to follow her own dreams and is on the fast track to becoming a supreme luxury fashion house. The “British Invasion” is certainly coming, and she is a fashion force to be reckoned with. For more information on Chantell, visit her website for updates and the links to her social media presence.

Although she came from a humble beginning, Teri Williams, has made an important decision to educate people on how to have a healthy financial life. Ms. Williams,who is currently President of OneUnited Bank has become very financially savvy over the years and is now using her expertise to share with others advice on how to have the financial life that they desire.

From first glance it might be easy to assume that Williams has had no problems with money in her life, but she shares that she had to learn the true value of money through trial and error the same as many people did. In fact, she is one of the first to admit that as a financial professional the banking industry has not done the best job informing customers about of the products and services available to them.

Williams is all too familiar with the element of not knowing this material since she learned much of her knowledge about money some gains and even a few losses over the years. As a result, she has began somewhat of a crusade to inform people on financial tips and products in an effort to help them change their lives.

Williams has even written a book that targets young people called “I Got Bank” to assist in giving them a head start on creating a great financial life for themselves. And although the book is mainly for a certain age group, there are tips in the book that even an adult can use in their lives when it comes to making decisions about their money. This is so important since there are still a certain portion of the population who are still somewhat paralyzed when it comes to money.

Since 2008/2009 when many people lost their jobs, this became an issue for much of the country. People fell behind on their bills and for a moment there were credit issues for many people. As the economy recovers, many need to get back on their feet and be given the tools to do so successfully.

Repairing credit is as common as “getting in shape” when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, but most consumers don’t really know what to do. OneUnited Bank can help and provides advice on the right type of accounts for you. For example, many consumers don’t know the difference between a prepaid debit card and a secured credit card which is probably part of the problem. It is important and more consumers need to know the difference.”

OneUnited Bank is currently launching an initiative to educate and help consumers repair damaged credit. The bank serves the needs of urban communities that are more diverse today than any time in history.

The community they serve consists of young and old, multi-ethnic, multiracial, immigrants and families who have been here for generations along with nonprofits and businesses. In other words, the new America!